Machinery for the manufacture of coverings for floors or like surfaces.



No. 69|,26L Patented 1an.v 14, |902. w. F. GRAHAM.

MACHINERY FOB THE MANUFAGTUBE 0F COVERINGS FOB FLOORS 0B LIKE SUBFACES.

(Application f ned July 2s, 1901.)

(No Model.)

fl CJ.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FOTHERGILL GRAHAM, OF GOSFORTII, ENGLAND.

MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERlNGS FOR FLOORS OR LIKE SURFACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,261, dated J' apuary 14, 1902.

Application filed July 26, 1901.

T0 all whom, it 11i/rtlz] concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FOTHERGILL GRAHAM, timber merchant, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Rosgill, AElmfeld road, Gosforth, in the county of Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for vthe Manufacture of Coverings for Floors or Like Surfaces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

ysuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in producing a covering for oors and similar surfaces resembling mosaic work, in which blocksor cubes of wood, cut with or across the grain, and alsov mosaic tesserze are attached by glue, mastic, or other adhesive composition to canvas or similar suitable-material, the wood blocks or tesserae being thereon preferably spaced with interstices between or close together and further secured, when necessary, by p nailing, whereby a firm footing tread lis formed. The method of producing such floor-covering may be by a machine in which the strips of canvas or other suitable material are coiled ina roll from which they are uncoiled and pass over a roller, on which they are smeared with glue, mastic, or other adhesive composition by a roller revolving in a trough containing the composition in a melted state and delivered to another roller, which spreads it evenly over the surface. The canvas thus smeared passes over and around a roller onto which the blocks are delivered by a chute, and'each se'- ries of blocks or tesserze attach themselves to the canvas and pass onto al roller, which presses them closely against the adhesive surface, and so over another roller, which keeps the canvas stretched tightly, when it may be rolled or, as I prefer, kept fiat until the blocks or tesserze have becomevperfectly set and at, tached to the canvas. At this or at any intermediate stage the blocks may be further secured by nailing them to the canvas, if necessary. The canvas may be coiled in strips of the full required width or may be after- Ward cut to any Width.

The accompanying drawings show a form of machine which will carry out the produc- Serial No. 69.831. (No model.)

tion of floor-covering accordingto my inven- .tion and illustrate the operations to be performed.

Figure l is a side elevation; Fig. 2, an end view of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of a strip of Hoor-covering completed, showing the blocks K arranged with inter- Vstices between both longitudinally and transwhich-the blocks or tesserae arrange themselves as they arrive from the chute D, into which they maybe filled by hand or by some automatic device, and on coming in contact with the prepared canvas they attach themselves to it across the entire width of the strip and travel on with the canvas to the rollerrH, which presses them into close contact, the roller H keeping the canvas tightly stretched. The rollers B, E, and G and the wheel Care all driven by geared trains of wheels (not shown) atV proper speeds and provided with yielding springs, where necessary, to regulate the tension and avoid breakage or tearing of the canvas. p

' The blocks or cubes and` mosaic tesserze may be stained in dierent colors, so as to form an ornamental surface,like mosaic work.

What Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y l.- In a machine of the character described, the combination with a roller over which a fabric is adapted to pass, and a roller for spreading adhesive composition on said fabric, of a second roller around which the4 fabric is adapted to pass from the rst roller, and means for feeding blocks or tesserze upon the surface of the second roller between said roller and the fabric, substantially as described.

2. In a Inwachine of the character described,

the combination with a frame, a froller A mounted in said frame and adapted to carry a roll of fabric, a roller B also mounted in said frame over which the fabric is arranged to pass, and a roller for spreading adhesive composition on said fabric, of a roller C around which the fabric is adapted to pass v from the roller B, and means for feeding` blocks or tesserze upon the surface of the roller C between said roller and said fabric, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, v

the combination with a roller over which a fabric is adapted to pass, and a roller for spreading adhesive composition upon said fabricg of a second roller around which the fabric is adapted to pass from the r'stroller, i means for feeding blocks or tesserae upon the second roller between said roller andthe fab-- ric, and a roller pressing said fabric against said blocks or tesserae as they pass'around the second roller,substantia1ly as described.

. '5; In a machine of the character described," lthe combinationy with la roller over which av fabric is adapted to pass, and a roller for;

spreading adhesive composition upon-said fabric, of a second roller around which'tha fabric is adapted to pass from the first-roller,

ribs on the second roller, means foivfeeding blocks or tesserze to the second roller between: said fabric-` and the roller,and a roller for,l pressing said-fabric against said blocksaor tesserze as they pass overthe second roller, substantially as described. l

6. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with a-roiler, over which a fabric is adapted to pass, a trough containing adhesive composition and a roller for spreading said adhesive composition upon said fabric, of a second roller around which the fabric is adapted to pass from the Vfirst roller, means for feeding blocks or tesserae upon the second roller between said roller and the fabric, and a roiier pressing said fabric against said blocks or tesserae as they pass around the second roller, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a roller over which a fabric is adapted to pass, a trough containing adhesive composition, a roller E in said trough for feeding said composition anda roller G for spreading the composition on the fabric, of a second roller around which the fabric is adapted to pass from the first roller,

means` for feeding blocks or tesser upon the second roller betweensaid roller and the fabric, and a roller pressing said fabric against said blocks or tesserae as they pass around the second roller, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described,

ribs onthesecond roller, means for feeding blocks or tesserae on the secon-d roller between said ribs-fand betweenthe surface of said roller and thev fabric, and a roller for pressing said 1 fabric lagainst said blocks or tesserae as they pass around the said roller, substantially as described".

In :testilnon y whereof I affix vmy signature in .presence of two witnesses.

a WILLIAM IOTHERGILIA GRAHAM;`

Witnesses: l l

WILLIAM DAGGETT, 15J DUNsoN. 

